STEM – Gulfview Heights Primary School

Posted on: Sep 4, 2018 | by: Energy Architecture

‘Fostering STEM pedagogy through a variety of flexible learning spaces’

Located in a picturesque setting overlooking the Adelaide foothills, this upgrade to Gulfview Heights Primary School provides a flexible learning environment that facilitates STEM centred curriculum and activities.

The upgrade to the facility encourages students to engage in multidisciplinary learning opportunities, supported by the new flexible learning environment. Learning is enhanced through the connection between indoor and outdoor learning spaces that provide the freedom for collaboration when working with real-world challenging problems. Improved access to technological and environmental resources, coupled with a specialist wet activity studio and maker space, allow students to design, create, explore and invent in a range of different digital and physical mediums.

The new STEM facilities focus on providing open, communal spaces that allow students to move freely between general learning areas, breakout spaces and activity areas. This introduction to STEM pedagogy to students is an integral part of their everyday curriculum and therefore inherent in the world around them. The open plan flexible spaces and breakout areas encourage students to work together, developing their problem solving, critical & creative thinking skills.

In conjunction with the general objectives, the STEM works proposal for Gulfview Heights Primary School incorporates a holistic approach to ESD (ecologically sustainable design) principles.

From a broader perspective, the base building works improve access to natural light and ventilation through the addition of new openings. These openings also connect students with the new outdoor learning areas, providing the opportunity to engage students with their surrounding environment and raise awareness of environmental sustainability.